I was threatened with a possible law suit a while back should I put up pictures of my dad, threatened by someone who, it seems, wants to erase his memory, his very existence. I wonder if other WWII / Korean War veterans families are getting this kind of smack-down. Anyway, should I get the actual descriptive citations for his two Distinguished Flying Crosses, I may be posting even more pictures. One of our “full-bird” Colonels in the parish is making some good progress on this for me. I have a lot of respect for my dad. I don’t think that that’s a bad thing in a time when dads are dissed by all and sundry.

What’s my best memory of dad? you ask. It has to do with the Most Blessed Sacrament and Altar Rails and the Cathedral of my home town. R.I.P. Dad: Best memory…

3 responses to “Dad died June 11 1993”

Dear Father,
It looks like your father was an enlisted Marine Corps Aviator, is that correct? I was a Naval Aviator, who, as a NacCad, had elected to go Marine Corps, but was persuaded to stay Navy by my fighter instructor in Advanced Training, the “finishing school” for Naval and Marine Corps Aviators. Saw a little “covert” action at Gitmo, during the Bay of Pigs/Cuban Missle Crisis days, flying Chance Vought F8U Crusaders. I still have my shoulder holster AND my Smith & Wesson 38 Special Liberty pistol, almost exactly like your father’s. Never had to fire it, except on the Leeward Point pistol range, at Gitmo, by the Grace of God. Takes me back, Father. I’ll remember Mr. George in my daily Rosary and Chaplet this Father’s Day.
V. resp’y,
litteralis

Dad was bi-wing crop dusting before, it seems, he had a drivers license. As his antics (many indeed) made him daily more infamous with the utility companies but daily more famous with the farmers, he was spotted by a USMC recruiter and brought from Minnesota to Iowa and thrown into a Corsair to see what he could do. He crashed before takeoff on his first ever run, but nevertheless they sent him up again in another Corsair, and then sent him to the VMB 611 group to give him some wider experience (in and around Guam) but then immediately he was put back into Corsairs for the Checkerboarders as far from Pappy Boyington as possible. They were way too much alike. He would soon head up his squadrons and eventually was made base commander. The picture on the Bataan with the six machine guns in the wings indicates this was a bit later in the history of the production of the Corsairs, when these mean birds were faster than the earliest fighter jets, edging on mach 1 in an attack from the heavens dive that could not be pulled out of in the mountains (only in heavier air close to sea level) until the too-broad-wing problem was corrected. Thank goodness he mostly flew so low to the ground, as he said, that he could see the faces of the (North) Korean rice farmers for whom he was fighting. He wrote about those emotional experiences, but I don’t know where his diaries are now. Thanks for the prayers for him. Very very much appreciated.

Dear Father,
My Dad was Army. He loved God, his country and his family. His marriage was very difficult, but he stood steadfast. He made vows and kept them when a lesser man would have used any excuse to get away from the situation. He was one of the bravest, most honorable men I have ever known. He died in 1972 at the age of 57. I thank God for the gift of my father.